JLR warns of possible production loss as strike looms large

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which today launched its sports car Jaguar F Type, priced up to Rs 1.61 crore, said its British operations could be hampered if the strike call by the workers of outsourced logistic division goes ahead.

"We are preparing for potential disruption (of production). We have a plan in place should that situation arise, though we are not directly involved with the strike and are closely monitoring the situation," a JLR spokesperson told reporters here today.

There has been no production loss as yet, he added.

According to 'The Sunday Times' report, delivery workers from DHL at JLR's England plants have voted for strike, demanding a large pay rise and terms and conditions on par with the JLR staff.

The staff of logistics giant DHL, which has about 1,800 workers at the three JLR factories -- 1,000 between Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the Midlands and 800 at Halewood, Merseyside -- perform a key role in managing warehouse operations and bringing parts to production lines. Those at Halewood are due to vote today.

On the newly launched F-Type, the company expressed confidence that it will trigger further growth for its products in the domestic market.

"Jaguar India has grown exponentially in the April-June quarter of this fiscal. The F-Type will trigger further growth for the Jaguar cars here," Jaguar Land Rover India vice-president Rohit Suri told reporters.

Without divulging the absolute numbers, Suri said, "Its sales grew 68% in Q1, and this growth has been fuelled by another product from the stable, the Jaguar XF sedan, which was launched early this year."

Noting that over all, auto industry in the country is not doing well currently, the JLR official said passenger car market has not seen the same growth pace it witnessed in the last couple of years.